VanDyke does UNIX®! We're pleased to announce the initial
public beta release of the new VShell 2.2 for UNIX and VShell 2.2
for Windows®. Read about the new features in VShell for UNIX that
provide an unprecedented level of control in a Secure Shell server. We
also have a tip on using a VBScript to activate a SecureCRT® window
and a new case study that shows how a consultant takes advantage of remote
access and file transfer to bring greater value to his clients.

New maintenance releases are available for VShell Server for Windows
2.1.5, SecureCRT 4.0.7, and CRT 4.0.7.

Mac OS X platform support will soon be available in VShell Server for
UNIX 2.2. VShell for UNIX provides IT professionals with the ability to
configure a Secure Shell solution from VanDyke Software for their mixed
platform networks and replace nonsecure Telnet and FTP access to UNIX
servers with SSH2. This beta release will be available to a limited number
of testers.

To find out more about the beta program for Mac OS X, contact kelli
burkinshaw at: .

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1. VShell Now Available for UNIX
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You asked for it  you got it! You told us you wanted a UNIX server
that offers the same tight controls over privileges and services found
in VShell for Windows. With the introduction of VShell Server for UNIX
2.2, we now provide a more complete Secure Shell solution for both the
Windows and UNIX platforms.

VShell Server for UNIX 2.2 delivers many of the same powerful controls
we have delivered in our Secure Shell server for Windows - granular control
over end user privileges, automation tools to reduce administration time
spent on routine tasks, and support for a wide range of authentication
methods.

Using VShell for Windows, you've been able to assign different privileges
for individual users or groups. Now you can do this with UNIX, too. VShell
for UNIX includes a Jail Shell feature
that lets you restrict shell or SFTP access to a user's or group member's
home directory using the ChrootGroups or ChrootUsers configuration options.

Using Access Control Lists (ACLs), you can define user- or group-based
access to VShell services including shell, SFTP, and port forwarding.
Limit user access to only those tasks they need to perform. For example,
you can allow file transfer, but deny interactive logon and tunneling
services to an external partner group while providing all services to
an internal support group.

In both Windows and UNIX you can fine-tune your Secure Shell environment,
saving time previously spent on routine tasks. Control where connections
will be accepted from, and which ports can be forwarded over a Secure Shell connection. Automate routine tasks
with triggers to perform functions after files are uploaded
to the server, or notify you if a preset number of authentication
attempts have been exceeded. Command line scripting is also
available using vcp, sfxcl, and SCP2.

VShell 2.2 supports a wider range of authentication methods with
the addition of built-in support for Kerberos (v5) via GSSAPI.
VShell also includes features that help make using public-key
authentication easier. Public Key Assistant lets users securely
upload their own public keys to the server. And both VShell for
Windows and VShell for UNIX support the OpenSSH public-key format,
so that users with OpenSSH clients no longer have to convert keys
and maintain two formats. You can also choose to use encrypted
password authentication, by itself, or in combination with public
keys.

You can look forward to even more platform options. In the
near future, we plan to introduce VShell for UNIX on Mac OS X
and HP-UX.

With a commercially supported server like VShell for UNIX, you
don't need to spend valuable time tracking down patches, keeping
up with security updates, and recompiling source code.

Ever needed to send a build of your latest work to a customer or your
boss by the end of the business day and didn't do it? If you're like me,
you log on using SecureCRT, start the build with a 'make >& make.errs'
and promptly minimize the SecureCRT window. Then, you're answering e-mail
and phone calls. Sure enough, the end of the day comes and you remember
that the build should be finished. When you restore the SecureCRT session
and take a look at the make.errs file, you find:

*** Build failed ***

Some file that you should have had wasn't checked in. And your bus home
arrives in ten minutes. Now you won't have time to do the build until
tomorrow.

If the SecureCRT session window could have popped up as soon as the command
finished, you could have easily checked in the missing file and restarted
the build. Not only that, you could have sent your boss the build at 3:30
p.m. (when it might have done her some good) instead of 6:30 a.m. the
next morning.

Here's how you can do just that. See the link below for a simple VBScript
that will restore a hidden or minimized SecureCRT or CRT window when output
from a remote machine is detected.

We wanted to ensure that the initial public release of VShell for UNIX
was as secure and robust as possible. We hired @stake, a digital security
consulting firm to perform a vigorous vulnerability test on the pre-release
beta version of VShell for UNIX.

Through this pre-release testing we were able to identify and resolve
a number of potential vulnerabilities prior to the public beta release.

According to @stake, their analysis found that VShell for UNIX was "surprisingly
robust and secure for an unreleased product. This appears to be the result
of high coding standards and internal peer review."

Read more about the @stake assessment in the VShell for UNIX press release
at:

Nick Temple, an e-commerce consultant, provides application development
and consulting services to clients throughout the United States. With
SecureCRT and SecureFX, Temple is able to provide remote administration
and development services from his office, minimizing his travel time and
expenses. And with secure connections, he can assure his customers that
their data and resources are protected.

"My clients place a lot of trust in me to not expose their sensitive
customer data, in particular credit card numbers and other financial data.
Security is an absolute necessity. And of course, sending passwords in
clear text over the Internet is just a bad idea," said Temple.

With SecureCRT and SecureFX, Temple gets the remote shell access, data
tunneling (port forwarding), and file transfer capabilities of the Secure
Shell protocol. Temple has been able to enhance the value he provides
to his customers by quickly responding to their needs while maintaining
the security of their systems and data.

Read more about how Nick Temple provides efficient, secure remote development
and administration at: